From owner-skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com Mon Mar 22 10:51:05 2010
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:50:28 -0500
From: skunk-works-digest
Reply-To: skunk-works@netwrx1.com
To: skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com
Subject: skunk-works-digest V16 #7
skunk-works-digest Monday, March 22 2010 Volume 16 : Number 007
Index of this digest by subject:
***************************************************
skunk-works joining the list
skunk-works ABCCC - Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center [new subj]
skunk-works Fw: *What was the slowest you ever flew the Blackbird?*
skunk-works Fw: [tlc-brotherhood] Fw: Model Airplane RC SCR-71
skunk-works Fw: [tlc-brotherhood] U-2 to continue
skunk-works ABCCC
skunk-works Fw: [the-tlc-mission] U-2 Dragon Lady
skunk-works The Air Force versus Hollywood
skunk-works Ride in a U-2
skunk-works Re: Ride in a U-2
skunk-works Fw: [tlc-brotherhood] U-2 and predator sensors for Haiti?
skunk-works Skunkworks - Legacy of the Secret Heroes
skunk-works U2 Article in the NY Times
***************************************************
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:53:20 +1100
From: "miltech.fms"
Subject: skunk-works joining the list
Terry.
I have an ex USN colleague who wants to joing the mailing list but
I've lost the details on doing so. can you please send me the correct
syntax etc for him to use?
regards
gary
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2010 05:43:13 -0500 (EST)
From: Terry Colvin
Subject: skunk-works ABCCC - Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center [new subj]
Check out TLCB member Ray Roddy's book CIRCLES IN THE SKY, THE SECRET WAR IN SOUTHEAST ASIA A COMMAND AND CONTROL PERSPECTIVE
http://www.abtriplec.com/
Mac
On Sun, Jan 3, 2010 at 8:57 AM, Steve Littlefield wrote:
I have found over time that almost everyone confuses the "King" aircraft with our ABCCC. I guess because none ever heard of us..ABCCC, unless they flew...
I finagles a flight with King one time..Interesting how they ran a SAR compared with us...It seemed kike the co-pilot held a plastic board with some info on it..But then again, I guess
that's what we did, our board was just bigger!!''
Take care guys,
Steve
Steve Littlefield
7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron
Korat RTAFB 72-73
Thailand-Laos-Cambodian Brotherhood Member #P711
--- On Sat, 1/2/10, 'Doc' Wagner wrote:
From: 'Doc' Wagner
Subject: Re: [the-tlc-mission] O-1 and O-2 FAC Videos
To: the-tlc-mission@nexus.net
Date: Saturday, January 2, 2010, 3:48 PM
Enjoyed these, Gerry. The A-V guys obviously didn't ask an SEA for advice before including an HC-130 in the clip with an FRS on the nose.
The narrator says O-1 sorties were 2-3 hours. Can't comment on that, but our O-2 sorties out of Ubon were rarely less than 4 hours. We'd be on trail watch for two hours, but took us an hour each way to most target areas in Steel Tiger. I carried an 8mm movie camera on several F-4D & O-2 sorties, but monsoon water damage turned 'em into green mold.
'Doc' Wagner
8th TFW
Terry W. Colvin
Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand
Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand
http://terrycolvin.freewebsites.com/
[Terry's Fortean & "Work" itty-bitty site]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2010 06:10:12 -0500 (EST)
From: Terry Colvin
Subject: skunk-works Fw: *What was the slowest you ever flew the Blackbird?*
- -----Forwarded Message-----
>From: Terry Colvin
>Sent: Jan 6, 2010 2:33 AM
>To: "U-Tapao@yahoogroups.com" , Skeptic
>Subject: *What was the slowest you ever flew the Blackbird?*
>
> [the-tlc-mission] "What was the slowest you ever flew the Blackbird?"
>Date: Jan 5, 2010 5:52 PM
>From an old friend of mine.
>
>Bob Harris
>NKP 66 to 67
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Fred Zimmerman
>"what was the slowest you ever flew the Blackbird?"
>
>
> As related by a former SR-71 pilot, and a professional keynote speaker...
> Brian Shul, Retired SR-71 Pilot via Plane and Pilot Magazine | Brian Shul, Retired SR-71 Pilot
>
> As a former SR-71 pilot, and a professional keynote
> speaker, the question I'm most often asked is "How fast would that SR-71
> fly?" I can be assured of hearing that question several times at any event I
> attend. It's an interesting question, given the aircraft's proclivity for
> speed, but there really isnt one number to give, as the jet would always
> give you a little more speed if you wanted it to. It was common to see 35
> miles a minute. Because we flew a programmed Mach number on most missions,
> and never wanted to harm the plane in any way, we never let it run out to
> any limits of temperature or speed. Thus, each SR-71 pilot had his own
> individual high speed that he saw at some point on some mission. I saw
> mine over Libya when Khadafy fired two missiles my way, and max power was in
> order. Lets just say that the plane truly loved speed and effortlessly took
> us to Mach numbers we hadn't previously seen.
> So it was with great surprise, when at the end of one of
> my presentations, someone asked, what was the slowest you ever flew the
> Blackbird? This was a first. After giving it some thought, I was reminded
> of a story that I had never shared before, and relayed the following.
> I was flying the SR-71 out of RAF Mildenhall, England,
> with my back-seater, Walt Watson; we were returning from a mission over
> Europe and the Iron Curtain when we received a radio transmission from home
> base. As we scooted across Denmark in three minutes, we learned that a small
> RAF base in the English countryside had requested an SR-71 fly-past. The air
> cadet commander there was a former Blackbird pilot, and thought it would be
> a motivating moment for the young lads to see the mighty SR-71 perform a low
> approach. No problem, we were happy to do it. After a quick aerial refueling
> over the North Sea, we proceeded to find the small airfield.
> Walter had a myriad of sophisticated navigation equipment
> in the back seat, and began to vector me toward the field. Descending to
> subsonic speeds, we found ourselves over a densely wooded area in a slight
> haze. Like most former WWII British airfields, the one we were looking for
> had a small tower and little surrounding infrastructure. Walter told me we
> were close and that I should be able to see the field, but I saw nothing.
> Nothing but trees as far as I could see in the haze. We got a little lower,
> and I pulled the throttles back from 325 knots we were at. With the gear up,
> anything under 275 was just uncomfortable. Walt said we were practically
> over the field yet; there was nothing in my windscreen. I banked the jet and
> started a gentle circling maneuver in hopes of picking up anything that
> looked like a field. Meanwhile, below, the cadet commander had taken the
> cadets up on the catwalk of the tower in order to get a prime view of the
> fly-past. It was a quiet, still day with no wind and partial gray overcast.
> Walter continued to give me indications that the field should be below us
> but in the overcast and haze, I couldn't see it. The longer we continued to
> peer out the window and circle, the slower we got. With our power back, the
> awaiting cadets heard nothing. I must have had good instructors in my flying
> career, as something told me I better cross-check the gauges. As I noticed
> the airspeed indicator slide below 160 knots, my heart stopped and my
> adrenalin-filled left hand pushed two throttles full forward. At this point
> we werent really flying, but were falling in a slight bank. Just at the
> moment that both afterburners lit with a thunderous roar of flame (and what
> a joyous feeling that was) the aircraft fell into full view of the shocked
> observers on the tower. Shattering the still quiet of that morning, they now
> had 107 feet of fire-breathing titanium in their face as the plane leveled
> and accelerated, in full burner, on the tower side of the infield, closer
> than expected, maintaining what could only be described as some sort of
> ultimate knife-edge pass.
> Quickly reaching the field boundary, we proceeded back to
> Mildenhall without incident. We didnt say a word for those next 14 minutes.
> After landing, our commander greeted us, and we were both certain he was
> reaching for our wings. Instead, he heartily shook our hands and said the
> commander had told him it was the greatest SR-71 fly-past he had ever seen,
> especially how we had surprised them with such a precise maneuver that could
> only be described as breathtaking. He said that some of the cadets hats
> were blown off and the sight of the plan form of the plane in full
> afterburner dropping right in front of them was unbelievable. Walt and I
> both understood the concept of breathtaking very well that morning, and
> sheepishly replied that they were just excited to see our low approach.
> As we retired to the equipment room to change from space
> suits to flight suits, we just sat there-we hadn't spoken a word since the
> pass. Finally, Walter looked at me and said, One hundred fifty-six knots.
> What did you see? Trying to find my voice, I stammered, One hundred
> fifty-two. We sat in silence for a moment. Then Walt said, "Don't ever do
> that to me again!" And I never did.
> A year later, Walter and I were having lunch in the
> Mildenhall Officers club, and overheard an officer talking to some cadets
> about an SR-71 fly-past that he had seen one day. Of course, by now the
> story included kids falling off the tower and screaming as the heat of the
> jet singed their eyebrows. Noticing our HABU patches, as we stood there with
> lunch trays in our hands, he asked us to verify to the cadets that such a
> thing had occurred. Walt just shook his head and said, "It was probably just
> a routine low approach; theyre pretty impressive in that plane". Impressive
> indeed.
> Little did I realize after relaying this experience to my
> audience that day that it would become one of the most popular and most
> requested stories. Its ironic that people are interested in how slow the
> worlds fastest jet can fly. Regardless of your speed, however, its always
> a good idea to keep that cross-check upand keep your Mach up, too.
Terry W. Colvin
Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand
Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand
http://terrycolvin.freewebsites.com/
[Terry's Fortean & "Work" itty-bitty site]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2010 19:28:13 +0700 (GMT+07:00)
From: Terry Colvin
Subject: skunk-works Fw: [tlc-brotherhood] Fw: Model Airplane RC SCR-71
- -----Forwarded Message-----
>
>Just got this from one of my old Pilots from England(HH-43's)
>Bill Jaynes
>
> This might be one of the coolest things I've seen this year.
>
>This is a most amazing Remote Controlled
>[RC] model airplane - click link below to see it fly. Not only did they
>build its jet engines, but included retractable landing gear, and built it
>into a fully scaled model of the SR-71 that is good enough to fly. This
>SR-71 model was built by some German RC enthusiasts, and this is one nifty
>toy - and sounds REAL!
http://www.fark.com/cgi/vidplayer.pl?IDLink=4464984
Terry W. Colvin
Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand
Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand
http://terrycolvin.freewebsites.com/
[Terry's Fortean & "Work" itty-bitty site]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 14:43:31 +0700 (GMT+07:00)
From: Terry Colvin
Subject: skunk-works Fw: [tlc-brotherhood] U-2 to continue
- -----Forwarded Message-----
This sounds like the old AF I knew.
Still on Fire:
he Air Force's fleet of high-flying U-2 Dragon Lady
reconnaissance aircraft has proved to be such an invaluable tool in
fighting the counterinsurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq that there is no
rush to retire these venerable Cold War platforms until their successors,
RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, are firmly in place with no drop off
in capability. Stars and Stripes reported
Wednesday that U-2s now give direct tactical support to ground troops,
delivering battlefield pictures and eavesdropping electronically, two
missions no single unmanned platform can pull off today. While a later
Global Hawk variant, the Block 30, is designed to do both, it is
just entering the
inventory and needs to be retrofitted with its SIGINT package. These
Global Hawks are scheduled to arrive in the war zone next year. Once they
have proved themselves in this role,
thenB- and only thenB- will U-2s be phased out.
Terry W. Colvin
Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand
Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand
http://terrycolvin.freewebsites.com/
[Terry's Fortean & "Work" itty-bitty site]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 10:11:42 +0000
From: wayne binkley
Subject: skunk-works ABCCC
RE: ABCCC article in recent post. I admit i didn't read every thing on every
page but I could find no mention of air crews from CCK AB Taiwan, yet I
personally flew quite a few of these mission and it was a regular thing for
My Sqd,the 345 TAS. I remember staying on station even thou we lost 1 engine (
no problem if you have burnt off enough fuel) from a tactical air lifter point
of view I must say it was the longest most boring 13 hr flights I ever flew.
The T/O was another story the only good thing about it was we quickly ran out
of the max flying time allowed on a monthly or quarterly basis although a
quick visit to the Flight Surgeon would get you a waiver. We could listen to
some of the radio traffic but never had the "big picture" so didn't really
know what was going on. We new the job was important but the front end crew
was looked at basically as airborne bus drivers an didn't seem to get any
respect,just bitched at once in a while so we new who was really in command
of the airframe. the pilot could abort the mission only if it was unsafe ( in
his opinion) to continue and after checking with higher authority, or just do
it if he felt it was necessary. I also think we operated at higher T/O weights
than mentioned in the article, but I will be 70 this month so I could be
wrong. Normal max T/O weight,155,00 lbs,EWP 175,000 lbs ,I believe that I once
took off at 183,000 lbs,very scary because the acft would not climb and you
had to skim the trees at the end of the runway,without much of a climb while
slowly "milking" the flaps up hoping and praying that you didn't have an
engine failure before reaching 3 engine minimum control speed. If you did
your only option was to crash land dead ahead,if it was an outboard. you would
have no choice but to pull the symmetrical eng back to where the rudder
could maintain straight ahead but you could not maintain level flight at that
weight.Of course we raised the gear just as soon as we had a positive rate of
climb. As we gradually gained airspeed we could make very small rate turns but
as we came back parallel ( downwind)we would still only be at a few hundred
feet,still trying to get airspeed to start a very slow climb and burning off a
lot of fuel with the rate of climb just barely 100 FPM. I sometimes wondered
if the back end crew realized how dangerous these heavy weight T/Os were at
that temp..Just the way i remember it a long time ago. Feel free to fwd/post
this where you want to as I am sure other's might have different
recollections.Wayne D. Binkley Tsgt USAF (Ret.),C-130 F/E
wayne d.binkley
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service.
http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/196390708/direct/01/
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:47:07 -0500 (EST)
From: Terry Colvin
Subject: skunk-works Fw: [the-tlc-mission] U-2 Dragon Lady
- -----Forwarded Message-----
From: Bob Wheatley
Sent: Jan 13, 2010 6:27 AM
To: the-tlc-mission@nexus.net
Subject: [the-tlc-mission] U-2 Dragon Lady
For you U-2 buffs.
http://www.military.com/news/article/air-force-delays-retiring-u2-spy-plane.html?ESRC=airforce.nl
Bob Wheatley
Air Force Lingy
Sergeant, USAF Security Service
Terry W. Colvin
Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand
Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand
http://terrycolvin.freewebsites.com/
[Terry's Fortean & "Work" itty-bitty site]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:04:57 -0500 (EST)
From: Terry Colvin
Subject: skunk-works The Air Force versus Hollywood
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nukevault/ebb304/index.htm
The Air Force versus Hollywood
Documentary on "SAC Command Post" Tried to Rebut "Dr. Strangelove" and "Fail Safe"
Cold War Documentaries Present the Air Force's Spin on Airborne Alert, the "Missile Gap," and Nuclear Command and Control; Films Premiered On-line in the National Security Archive's Nuclear Vault
Edited by William Burr
Underground Command Post at Strategic Air Command Headquarters, Offutt Air Force Base. Still taken from Air Force Special Film Project 1236, "SAC Command Post"
Washington, D.C., January 15, 2010 - To refute early 1960s novels and Hollywood films like Fail-Safe and Dr. Strangelove which raised questions about U.S. control over nuclear weapons, the Air Force produced a documentary film--"SAC [Strategic Air Command] Command Post"--to demonstrate its responsiveness to presidential command and its tight control over nuclear weapons.
...much more at URL...
Terry
Terry W. Colvin
Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand
Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand
http://terrycolvin.freewebsites.com/
[Terry's Fortean & "Work" itty-bitty site]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:18:59 -0500 (EST)
From: Terry Colvin
Subject: skunk-works Ride in a U-2
Ride in a U-2:
http://www.wimp.com/breathtakingfootage/
Terry W. Colvin
Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand
Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand
http://terrycolvin.freewebsites.com/
[Terry's Fortean & "Work" itty-bitty site]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:50:18 -0500 (EST)
From: Terry Colvin
Subject: skunk-works Re: Ride in a U-2
Re: Ride in a U-2
Date: Jan 19, 2010 7:39 AM
On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 3:18 AM, Terry Colvin wrote:
> Ride in a U-2:
>
> http://www.wimp.com/breathtakingfootage/
This is an excerpt from two BBC specials which were broadcast in
conjunction with the anniversary of the first Moon landing: "James May
on the Moon", and "James May at the Edge of Space". Basically, "Edge
of Space" (which, IIRC, aired on BBC 4) is the last half hour or so of
"on the Moon" (which aired on BBC 2 about an hour or so before "Edge
of Space" aired on BBC 4).
FWIW, I forwarded a different link to this (or a closely related)
video clip a few months or so ago. :-) Not that I mind seeing it
again.
BBC America ran "James May on the Moon" here in the former colonies
back in November of last year (along with a number of other "moon
landing" themed specials), and anyone who's interested in seeing the
whole thing but missed it (or doesn't have BBC America available) can
grab it on video via BitTorrent.
Cheers,
LRC
Terry W. Colvin
Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand
Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand
http://terrycolvin.freewebsites.com/
[Terry's Fortean & "Work" itty-bitty site]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:25:32 -0500 (EST)
From: Terry Colvin
Subject: skunk-works Fw: [tlc-brotherhood] U-2 and predator sensors for Haiti?
- -----Forwarded Message-----
From: Eugene Rossel
Sent: Jan 26, 2010 2:17 AM
To: TLC-BROTHERHOOD@nexus.net
Subject: [tlc-brotherhood] U-2 and predator sensors for Haiti?
Good story on hour modern technology for war can be used for peace
time efforts.
U- 2 Flights Likely Over Haiti; Predator May Go
U- 2 Flights Likely Over Haiti; Predator May Go
By Colin Clark - Posted in Air, Intelligence, International , Land,
Naval, Policy
The Pentagon will probably send the U- 2 to Haiti so its unique
multi- spectral imagery capabilities can be put to use spotting
breaks in water and gas lines, chemical spills and similar problems.
B^SMy expectation is that we hope to get that deployed soon,B^T Col.
Bradley Butz, vice commander of the Air ForceB^Rs 480th Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Va.,
told reporters this morning.
The U- 2 contains unique multi- spectral imagery equipment (the
seven- band SYERS 2) that Global Hawk and Predator donB^Rt possess.
Butz said the multi- spectral tools would provide useful information
about breaks in water and gas lines, as well as chemical spills.
Butz also said they may deploy Predator to Haiti but the Air Force is
still looking at just what it would add to the sensor mix.
Meanwhile, a Global Hawk has already flown over Haiti, for 14 hours
yesterday and it should do 16 hours today, Butz said. It has looked
at 1,000-plus targtets. B^SWe are looking at all infrastructure,
ports, airfields,B^T he said. For example, Global Hawk is providing
images to help pilots as they approach HaitiB^Rs airports. B^SThe
clarity of the imagery is good enough to provide go/ no- go
information for aircraft.B^T
Troops from the 82nd Airborne and the Marines are already feeding
imagery requests directly to the ISR agency. We are in direct
communication with them,B^T Butz said.
Part of that effort involves imagery from national technical means B
spy satellites B and commercial satellite imagery provided by the
National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA). Butz said his people
are sharing their images from air burning assets with NGA and NGA is
sharing its images with them. Southern Command, in charge of the
Haiti operations, is feeding unclassified versions of that data to
the non- governmental organizations operating in Haiti via an
unclassified web link. And NGA has an unclassified web link to
provide some of its data. Butz said they are working hard to avoid
duplication.
When we asked Butz how his people were coping with the added burden
of analyzing Haitian imagery while they are feeding troops in
Afghanistan and Iraq with imagery and analyzing it, he conceded
B^SitB^Rs very tough. We have to keep our airmen focused on Afghanistan
and Iraq.B^T
All this highlights an immense irony of the terrible destruction the
earthquake wreaked in Haiti, namely that the Western HemisphereB^Rs
poorest country is getting much of the worldB^Rs most sophisticated
and expensive technology in its time of need.
Global Hawk, the high- flying reconnaissance UAV which costs roughly
$135 million apiece, left Beale Air Force Base on Jan. 13 for Haiti.
A story on the baseB^Rs web site quoted Lt. Col. Mark Lozier,
operations officer with the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron:B^T In
effect, you get to look at what we know is damaged, and what we know
is still serviceable. We can take a look at airfields to assess,
right now, whether or not we will be able to get airlift in there
with aid. We donB^Rt have to wait for a ground team to get in there
and make on site decisions.B^T
As the U.S military first really learned during the earliest stages
of our Afghan war, persistent surveillance can be incredibly useful.
B^SOne of the ideal aspects of the Global Hawk for this purpose is its
high- altitude; we can stay airborne 27 to 28 hours,B^T Lozier said.
B^SWe will be using most of that time to stay on station over in Haiti
during most of daylight hours to image most of everything that we can
with the highest fidelity.B^T
We got an email from a geospatial data company, FortiusOne, telling
us about how they are providing mapping and other geospatial planning
tools to non- governmental groups. You can take a look here at some
of the nifty products they and other companies are making available
to help get help where it is needed most.
Ruth Stiver, who handles PR for them, said this: B^SWe are actively
working with other communities such as OpenStreetMap and
CrisisCommons, which are gathering additional data and maps that can
be used to share with responders and agencies working to organize and
provide relief efforts. To check out our latest collaborative efforts
to help visit:
http://news.geocommons.com/haitiquake/
Feel free to contribute your own data as well at Geocommons and make
sure to tag your data B^ShaitiquakeB^T. If you know of additional
relief organizations, please add them to the registry
http://haiti-orgs.sahanafoundation.org/orgs/
Obviously, the USS Carl Vinson and the Marine units heading to Haiti
involve incredibly advanced technology as well.
IB^Rm sure our readers know of other examples. Please let us know and
weB^Rll update this story or add new ones. I covered the terrible
famines of 1984B^V85 in Ethiopia and Sudan, as well as the
accompanying epidemics that rolled through the region on the heels of
famine and civil war. The best technology available then was C- 130s
and similar military airlifters, military radios, printed maps
containing weather and related data from satellites, and kerosene-
powered refrigerators deployed in geographic chains to keep vaccines
fresh. LetB^Rs hope todayB^Rs more advanced tools will help save lives
and, perhaps, help Haiti to plan better for future disasters.
SOURCE:
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2010/01/14/military-tech-heads-to-haiti/
Terry W. Colvin
Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand
Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand
http://terrycolvin.freewebsites.com/
[Terry's Fortean & "Work" itty-bitty site]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 13:35:19 -0500 (EST)
From: Terry Colvin
Subject: skunk-works Skunkworks - Legacy of the Secret Heroes
http://area51specialprojects.com/sp_photos.html
Photos and Video declassified legacy of the Secret Heroes
Date: Mar 3, 2010 3:27 PM
Thanks to Col Knox....
Photos and Video declassified legacy of the Secret Heroes of the Area 51 Black Projects in Nevada
This information is provided by PURE PURSUIT INFORMATION CENTER, as a service to members of the Military and Air Defense Community with the purpose of offering relevant and timely information on (open source) defense, aviation, emergency, law enforcement and terrorism issues. Posts may be forwarded to other individuals, organizations and lists for non-commercial purposes. To subscribe to the list, please direct an email to Nena Wiley at CoyoteArz@aol.com .
Terry W. Colvin
Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand
Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand
http://terrycolvin.freewebsites.com/
[Terry's Fortean & "Work" itty-bitty site]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2010 07:49:44 -0700
From: Joy Cohn
Subject: skunk-works U2 Article in the NY Times
Or
March 21, 2010
U-2 Spy Plane Evades the Day of Retirement
By CHRISTOPHER DREW
The U-2 spy plane, the high-flying aircraft that was often at the heart of
cold war suspense, is enjoying an encore.
Four years ago, the Pentagon was ready to start retiring the plane, which
took its first test flight in 1955. But Congress blocked that, saying the
plane was still useful.
And so it is. Because of updates in the use of its powerful sensors, it has
become the most sought-after spy craft in a very different war in
Afghanistan.
As it shifts from hunting for nuclear missiles to detecting roadside bombs,
it is outshining even the unmanned drones
in gathering a rich array of
intelligence used to fight the Taliban
.
All this is a remarkable change from the U-29s early days as a player in
United States-Soviet espionage. Built to find Soviet missiles, it became
famous when Francis Gary Powers was shot down in one while streaking across
the Soviet Union in 1960, and again when another U-2 took the photographs
that set off the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. Newer versions of the plane
have gathered intelligence in every war since then and still monitor
countries like North Korea.
Now the U-2 and its pilots, once isolated in their spacesuits at 70,000
feet, are in direct radio contact with the troops in Afghanistan. And
instead of following a rote path, they are now shifted frequently in
midflight to scout roads for convoys and aid soldiers in firefights.
In some ways, the U-2, which flew its first mission in 1956, is like an
updated version of an Etch A Sketch in an era of high-tech computer games.
3It9s like after all the years it9s flown, the U-2 is in its prime again,2
said Lt. Col. Jason M. Brown, who commands an intelligence squadron that
plans the missions and analyzes much of the data. 3It can do things that
nothing else can do.2
One of those things, improbably enough, is that even from 13 miles up its
sensors can detect small disturbances in the dirt, providing a new way to
find makeshift mines that kill many soldiers.
(Article Continues at NYT)
------------------------------
End of skunk-works-digest V16 #7
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